Draft inducers



Dec. 22, 1964 A. A. ARVlNTZ ETAL 3,162,358

DRAFT INDUCERS Filed May '7, 1965 INVENTOR5 fiBRAHHM/ HRV/NTZ NATHAN/ FIRv/ HTTOR United States Patent Oflice 3,162,358 Patented Dec. 22, 1964 3,162,358 DRAFT INDUCERS Abraham A. Arvintz, 54-40 Little Neck Parkway, Little Neck, N.Y., and Nathan A.Arvins, 350 Lefierts Ave,

Brooklyn, N.Y.

Filed May 7, 1963, Ser. No. 278,630

. 7 Claims. (Cl. 230-417) This invention relates to apparatus for use in conjunction with boilers, furnaces and the like to induce circulation of air in providing a more eflicient operation. More particularly, the invention deals with an apparatus of the character defined employing a casing, in which is arranged a bearing assemblage for the shaft of the fan or impeller of the apparatus, the assemblage being exposed through one wall of the casing and, wherein, said assemblage includes a fan for cooling the bearing for the shaft in said casing. 7

Still more particularly, the invention deals with an apparatus, wherein. the casing includes an extending platform, upon which the drive motor is supported, as well as the pillow block bearing for the chain shaft adjacent the motor.

The novel features of the invention will be best understood from the following description, when taken together with the accompanying drawing, in which certain embodiments of the invention are disclosed and, in which, the separate parts are, designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views and, in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic side view of an apparatus made according to our invention, with parts of the construction broken away and in section and indicating, in dot-dash lines, a part of the flue.

FIG. 2 is a sectional detail view on an enlarged scale of the bearing assemblage, the section being on the line 22 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 3 is a section on the line 33 of FIG. 2, with parts of the construction shown in elevation and omitting background showing and further illustrating, in side elevation, the pillow block bearing employed; and

FIG. 4 is a face view of the cooling wheel of the assemblage detached.

In FIG. 1 of the drawing, We have shown at the barometric casing of the inducer and, at this time, it is pointed out that the damper commonly employed in casings of this type and kind is not shown, as it is well-known in the art. One discharge end of the casing has an extending annular sleeve or race 11, with which a flue or part of a flue is coupled, as indicated, in part, in dot-dash lines at 12. At 13 is shown the fan or impeller of the inducer arranged, for the most part, in the sleeve 11. The shaft 14 of the impeller passes through a bearing assemblage 15 mounted upon the opposed wall of the casing 10, as diagrammatically seen in FIG. 1 of the drawing, and shown, in section, in FIG. 3. The last named wall 10 of the casing 10 has an extending platform, diagrammatically illustrated at 16. Supported on the platform is a pillow block bearing 17 for the slightly reduced end 14 of the shaft 14. Fixed to the end of 14 is a pulley 18, around which is passed a belt, diagrammatically seen at 19 in FIG. 1, which passes around a pulley on the shaft 20 of an electric motor 21 supported on the platform 16 at one side of and in spaced relation to the shaft end 14'.

The wall 10' of the casing 10 has a large opening at 22 therein, note FIGS. 2 and 3, this opening registering with the chamber 15' of the casing 23 of the assemblage 15, as will clearly appear from a consideration of FIG. 3 of the drawing. The casing 23 can be of any circumferential contour, but is preferably rectangular in form. The forward end of the casing 23 is flanged, as seen at 24, and this flange portion is preferably welded to the inner surface of the Wall 10'. The wall 25 of the casing 23 has drawing, through which bolts or other fastenings 31 pass in mounting the housing 29 on the inner surface of the wall 25. The outer end of the housing 29 has projecting bearing blocks 32, one of which is illustrated in FIG. 3. These blocks form supports for a flanged bearing holder 33, including adjustable screws 34 for attachment to the blocks 32. The blocks 32 serve to space the surface of the holder 33 from the adjacent open end of the housing 29 in providing circulating passages around the holder 33 and between the blocks 32, as will clearly appear from a consideration of FIG. 2 of the drawing. On the screws 34 are arranged springs 35, one only of which is shown in FIG; 3 for yieldable support of the holder 33, as will be apparent. Arranged within 33 is a suitable bearing 36, preferably self-alining, the bearing 36 being only diagrammatically shown. Fixed to the shaft 14, adjacent the reduced extension 14', is a collar 37.

Secured to the shaft 14, within the housing 33, is a fan or cooling wheel 38, shown in detail in FIG. 4. The wheel 38 has a hub portion 39 arranged upon and fixed to the shaft and an annular rim 4t) joining the hub in circumferentially spaced ribs or blades 41. The rim 40 has, at one end, an annular flange portion 42, which forms between the blades 41 circumferentially spaced circulating apertures 43, as clearly seenin FIG. 4 of the drawing. This construction provides free circulation of air into .and through the casing 23 to effectively cool the bearing 36 utilizing atmosphere outside of the environment of the casing 10, keeping in mind the opening 22 in the wall 10 of the casing.

As previously stated, the shaft end 14 is of slightly less diameter than the shaft 14 proper so that, upon removing the collar 37 and the bolts 31, the housing 29, together with the bearing 36 and its holder 33, can be freely slid over and outwardly upon the shaft end 14 for examination or repair, the same being brought into the environ ment of the bearing 17, which leaves the chamber 15' freely accessible to clean the cooling wheel 38 and/ or to remove such wheel and to otherwise repair or care for the housing 29 and the parts associated therewith, which would also include repair and/ or replacement of the bearing 36.

From the above identified structure of the assemblage 15, it will be apparent that the bearing 36 is at no time in direct contact with the heated atmosphere moved through the casing 10 in operation of the fan 13, as with other devices of this type and kind. No particular showing is made of the admission of products of combustion to the casing 10, as the positions of admission vary, depending upon requirements of any specific installation, the present invention dealing primarily with the structure and mounting of the assemblage 15 and the cooling means provided for the bearing of this assemblage, as well as the provision of the shaft end 14' extending well beyond the casing 10 for the purposes previously set forth. As a matter of reference, the present invention deals with draft inducers of the general type and kind shown in our prior Patent Number 2,877,724 granted March 17, 1959.

Having fully described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A draft inducing apparatus of the character defined comprising a casing having a large discharge in one wall thereof, a platform extending from said casing, a bearing assemblage mounted in said casing on an opposed wall of the casing, a shaft passing through said assemblage and having an impeller at one end adjacent said discharge,

i the other end of the-shaft projecting from the'casing and arranged over said platform, a bearing on the platform for said extending end of the shaft, an electric motor supdetachably mounted in said assemblage casing, a bearing holder mountedon said housing, a bearing in said holder.v aft and arranged 'upon said shaft, 21 collar'fixe'd to the sh adjacent said bearingholder, the wall 'of'thejcasing to blage'casing and. around the bearing supported in said bearing holder for cooling said last named hearing. I 2. apparatus'as' casing of said assemblage includes another bearing throughwhich said shaft passesQ ,7 I V 3; Anapparatus.as defined in claim 1, wherein means is employed for ;;yieldably' coupling the bearing holder with said housing. v v

4. An apparatusasdefined in claim "1, wherein said housing includes a plurality-of projecting brackets, in

' connection with which fastening means is "employed mountingthehousing in the casing-of said assemblage, and said-fastening means being accessible through said aperture in the first casing for removal of the housing through the aperture onto said extended end of the shaft. 5. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said cooling 'wheel comprises a hub fixed to the shaft'within said housing, said wheel'hav'ing' an annular rim spaced with respect to said housing and culating apertures;

6; In draft inducing apparatus of 'the character dedefined claim 1, wherein the joining the hub in circiimferentially spaced blades, one end ofthe wheel heingopen' an'dthe other end having" circumferentially' spaced :Cila

therein, an assemblage casing fixedto one wall of the first named casing, a bearing supportfor said shaft arranged Within said: assemblage casing,'said wall of the first named casing having an aperture exposed; to a'chamber of said 7 second casing, a housing in said assemblage casing, means coupled with the housing forming a bearing support, a bearing in said support and on'the shaft within said asseme blage casing and inwardly of said Wall of the first casing,

7 said housing beingtubular in form, a bladed coolingwheel 5. whic'hthe assemblage is fixed having anaperture opening into the casing of said assemblage, and a cooling wheel fixed to} said shaft within said housin grfor circulation of, air through said aperture and a chamber ofsaid assem 'fix'ed to the shaft and positioned within said housing for circulating air through said-housing and, the aperture in said wall of the' first casing, the support for the :bearing on said housing being spaced from one end of the housing to provide circulation of air directly upon said bearing, j the first casing havinga large, discharge in a wall thereofopposed to said first named wall, and an impeller on said shaft operating in lsaid'discharge 7 Y 7. An apparatus as, defined inclaim- 6, wherein said shaft includes a long extension-projecting fi'om'the first namedwall'of said first casing, an outer bearing support for said extension widely spaced from said first casing, and said housing including thebearing'supported thereon being detachable with {respect to-pthe assemblage casing forpositioning upon the'extension of said shaft.

References-Cited by the Examiner UNI'TEDsrATEs PATENTS I r 1,867,582 7/32 McCray 308-2071 :,.2,223,s47 12/40 Eng'dahl i 2,439,127 ,4/48- 'D'aile'y et1al. 230 209 2,877,724 3/59 Arvintzet'al; f162 FOREIGN PATENTS 636,397112/30 Germany,

LAURENCETVVIVEFNER, p eli Examiner. ,ROBERT M..WALKER, Examiner. 

1. A DRAFT INDUCING APPARATUS OF THE CHARACTER DEFINED COMPRISING A CASING HAVING A LARGE DISCHARGE IN ONE WALL THEREOF, A PLATFORM EXTENDING FROM SAID CASING, A BEARING ASSEMBLAGE MOUNTED IN SAID CASING ON AN OPPOSED WALL OF THE CASING, A SHAFT PASSING THROUGH SAID ASSEMBLAGE AND HAVING AN IMPELLER AT ONE END ADJACENT SAID DISCHARGE, THE OTHER END OF THE SHAFT PROJECTING FROM THE CASING AND ARRANGED OVER SAID PLATFORM, A BEARING ON THE PLATFORM FOR SAID EXTENDING END OF THE SHAFT, AN ELECTRIC MOTOR SUPPORTED ON SAID PLATFORM, A DRIVE BETWEEN THE MOTOR AND SAID EXTENDING END OF THE SHAFT, SAID ASSEMBLAGE COMPRISING A CASING, THROUGH WHICH SAID SHAFT PASSES, A WHEEL HOUSING DETACHABLY MOUNTED IN SAID ASSEMBLAGE CASING, A BEARING HOLDER MOUNTED ON SAID HOUSING, A BEARING IN SAID HOLDER AND ARRANGED UPON SAID SHAFT, A COLLAR FIXED TO THE SHAFT ADJACENT SAID BEARING HOLDER, THE WALL OF THE CASING TO WHICH THE ASSEMBLAGE IS FIXED HAVING AN APERTURE OPENING 